Safety device for scaffolds



- May 1, 1928.

F. JOVIEN SAFETY DEVICE FOR SCAFFOLDS Filed Sept. 2, 1927 INVENTORATTORN EY WITNESS:

Patented May 1, 1928.

v UNITED STATES FRANK JOVIEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR SCAFFOLDS.

Application filed September 2, 1927. Serial No. 217,235.

This invention relates to a safety device for preventing a workmanfalling off a scaffold or the like, the general object of the inventionbeing to provide a device which is adapted to be fastened to a belt onthe workman and which includes a lever having a hole therein throughwhich a rope is passed,

with means whereby the lever will grip the rope if the device is moveddownwardly but which will slide up the rope when the workman pulls thescaffold upwardly.

This invention also consists in certain other features of constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawingsand specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1is a view showing the device in use.

Figure 2 is a rear view of the device, showing a portion of the belt.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view showing in dotted lines how the devicegrips the rope if the workman should fall.

In these views, 1 indicates a plate which is curved to fit the back ofthe wearer and which is provided with a pair of slots 2 ad jacent eachend thereof through whicha belt 3 is threaded in such a manner that thebelt covers practically the entire inner face of the plate and thus actsas a cushion to prevent the plate from injuring the back of the user. Apair of ears 4 and a tongue 5 are struck from the plate and a lever 6 ispivoted between the ears, the tongue 5 acting as a stop to limit thedownward movement of the lever and to hold it in horizontal position.The outer end of the lever is enlarged and this enlarged part isprovided with a hole 7 through which passes a cable or rope 8 which isadaptedto have itsupper end fastened to a strong support well above theworkman.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the belt 8 is placed aroundthe body of the workman, the lever will remain in a horizontal positionduring the ordinary movements of the workman and it can slide up therope as the workman raises the scaffold or passes from a lower plane toa higher plane. However, if the workman should fall, the friction of therope on the lever would cause the lever to move upwardly and thus kinkthe rope, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 4%, so that the lever wouldlook itself to the rope and thus prevent the workman from falling.

If the workman wishes to descend, he would reach behind him and graspthe lever and hold it in horizontal position so that it could slide downthe rope without gripping the rope. If he should fall while holding thelever horizontally, he would naturally reach for something, thusreleasing the lever so that it could swing upwardly and thus bind itselfto the rope so that the device would support the workman.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages andnovel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood that I may make changes in the constructionand in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, providedthat such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim. I

that I claim is:

A device of the class described comprising a plate having slots adjacentits ends through which a belt is adapted to be threaded, a pair of carsextending from the rear face of the plate, a lever pivoted between theears and having a hole in its outer end which is adapted to receive arope and a tongue on the plate acting as a stop for limiting thedownward movement of the. lever and holding it in a horizontal position,the lever moving upwardly if the wearer should fall and thus grippingthe rope.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

, FRANK JOVIEN.

